NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwire) -- 02/12/13 -- The Zombies, one of the first and most influential of the first wave of bands to hit the U.S. during the British Invasion of the 1960s, have been scheduled to make multiple appearances at this year's South By Southwest music conference, taking place in Austin, Texas from March 12 through March 17. This will be the first time The Zombies, led by founding members Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent, will perform at SXSW. In addition, the group has announced a slate of dates beginning in February in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean, with more dates in summer 2013 to follow.

On Friday, March 15 at 12:30 pm, SXSW Music will present a Featured Interview with Blunstone and Argent, discussing their careers from the band's early years to the present, and that afternoon at 4:00 the band will play the Paste Magazine daytime party at Stage on Sixth. The next day at noon, The Zombies will do a show and signing at Waterloo Records, which is open to the public. That evening -- at their official SXSW showcase -- The Zombies will headline the Austin Psych Fest, hosted in part by Yahoo!, at Austin's newest premier venue, Brazos Hall. The bill will include several young buzz bands, including The Night Beats, Elephant Stone and Et Tu Brucé, many of whom will also support The Zombies at select shows in North America this year.

Their music has had a profound and lasting impact on generations of new bands who cite their hit singles "She's Not There," "Tell Her No" and "Time Of The Season" and their enduring classic album Odessey and Oracle as pop touchstones. Such artists as Neko Case and Nick Cave, She and Him, Beck, Belle and Sebastian, The Fleet Foxes and The Beautiful South have pointed to The Zombies' music as an important influence, and the songs written and performed by the group have been used in numerous films and television shows. The group's debut SXSW appearance confirms not only their stature as groundbreaking, hit-making artists with a catalog of durable songs, but as a band that continues to make vital, contemporary music.

The Zombies are returning to North America after the release of their acclaimed new album Breathe Out, Breathe In, and two highly successful tours. Those recent tours included appearances on NBC's Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, and several appearance on National Public Radio, including World Cafe, Bob Boilen's Tiny Desk Concerts, and Weekend Edition Sunday.

SXSW is among the most important events for industry professionals, media representatives and music fans, drawing almost 19,000 attendees, all of whom will have the chance this year to see why The Zombies are one of the most revered and imitated bands among 21st century pop musicians.